Summary

  • A second - and final - batch of three episodes of Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan have been released

  • In episode five, Prince Harry describes a tense 2020 summit at Sandringham where senior royals met to discuss his and Meghan's royal roles

  • "It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me," says Harry

  • Remarking on his relationship with his family, he says: "It looked cold, but it also felt cold"

  • The Prince and Princess of Wales and Buckingham Palace have not responded to any claims made in the series

  • Elsewhere, Meghan says she tried to make the family "proud"

  • But she claims that ultimately she was "fed to the wolves" of the tabloid media

  • Her mother, Doria Ragland, says Meghan at one point wanted to take her own life to escape the "vultures"

  1. Goodbyepublished at 18:25 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    We're wrapping up our live coverage now - but for more on what we've learnt from the final three episodes of Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan check out our main story - William screamed at me during summit, says Harry

    Here's a few other articles worth reading:

    Today's writers were Joseph Lee, Andre Rhoden-Paul, Helen Bushby, Steven McIntosh and Marianna Brady, with analysis from Ashitha Nagesh and Sean Coughlan.

    It was edited by Deirdre Finnerty, James FitzGerald and Chris Giles.

  2. What’s been happeningpublished at 18:19 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Media caption,

    Harry: Terrifying to have my brother scream at me

    Thanks for joining our live coverage of the latest episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan's docuseries - and the fallout following some of their comments.

    Here's a recap of the day's key developments, but it's worth remembering that other royals have declined to comment on the series.

    • Harry reflected on his relationship with his brother; specifically an occasion when it was "terrifying" to have Prince William "scream and shout" at him during royal crisis talks
    • While criticising the royal press operation - and the kind of "dirty game" it played - the duke said his name had been put on a statement that denied William had "bullied" him out of the family. Harry described that as a "lie to protect my brother"
    • The duke commented the relationship with his family felt "cold"
    • Meghan recalled a time when she considered taking her own life - having told herself that all of the couple's problems would stop if she wasn't there. Her mother made an appearance on camera, attacking the "vultures" who targeted her daughter
    • The couple's relationship with the media was again raised. Harry said he believed press coverage in the Mail on Sunday was linked to Meghan's miscarriage, though admitted he did not "absolutely know" that to be the case. The newspaper is yet to comment
    • Some of the couple's famous friends - such as Beyonce and Tyler Perry - made appearances or were referenced to in support of Harry and Meghan's version of events
    • There has been a mixed reaction to the latest episodes; broadcaster Piers Morgan accused the couple of "astounding treachery" while prominent lawyer and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu said she "unequivocally" believed them
    • The BBC's royal correspondent said the latest episodes wouldn't "seriously damage the Royal Family in a way it might have feared"

  3. WATCH: Harry and Meghan, the final episodes, in 60 secondspublished at 18:09 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Prince Harry exposes a royal rift with his brother the Prince of Wales in the last three episodes of Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary.

    BBC Royal Correspondent Jonny Dymond whizzes through the final three episodes in a minute.

    Media caption,

    Harry and Meghan, the final episodes, in 60 seconds

  4. More questions than answers on racepublished at 17:52 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Ashitha Nagesh
    BBC News Community Affairs Correspondent

    There's generally been a lot of support for the couple from communities of colour. After all, there’s a lot in their story - particularly in how all of this has made Meghan feel - that's relatable for us.

    Our experiences and backgrounds are all so diverse, but there is a lot in the experience of racism - whether overt or insidious - that’s universal.

    But even with this relatability, there are moments the documentary strays into tone-deafness. Harry and Meghan’s story being set against the murder of Stephen Lawrence, for example, or the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people, without an acknowledgement of how the couple’s financial and class privilege sets them so far apart from these tragedies.

    Then there’s the sheer amount of space their story seems to be taking up. Black Ballad editor Tobi Oredein questioned in her newsletter this week whether Harry and Meghan’s experience - as important as it is - should be made so central to the discussion of race in Britain.

    And left-wing commentator Ash Sarkar went further, tweeting that there’s an outright contradiction in wanting a “progressive… and diverse Royal Family, while still participating in an institution based on bloodline superiority”.

    These are complex and nuanced questions - ones that, six hours of documentary footage later, are ultimately left unanswered.

  5. King may think it went better than expected - historianpublished at 17:43 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    A royal historian has suggested the Royal Family might feel the docuseries has "gone better than they might have feared".

    Sarah Gristwood, who has written a number of royal books and commentates on the royals, told the BBC News: "The monarchy has survived a lot.

    "Quite often what looks threatening to it - like the furore after the death of Princess Diana - has actually paved the way for new growth. It's been a blessing in a very deep disguise.

    "Prince Harry in one of these episodes thinks about the necessity of pain coming to the service so it's possible to move on, and I just think that could be true for the Royal Family as well as for he and Meghan."

  6. Royal Family arrive at Westminster Abbey for carol servicepublished at 17:34 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Members of the Royal Family have arrived at Westminster Abbey for a carol service.

    Hours after the final episodes of Harry & Meghan dropped onto Netflix - the King, the Queen Consort and the Prince of Wales have joined Kate for her Christmas concert in central London.

    It is dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II and "the values Her Majesty demonstrated throughout her life", says publicity for the event.

    The Princess of Wales admires a Christmas treeImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The Princes of Wales, who spearheaded the event, admires a Christmas tree outside Westminster Abbey

    Prince and Princess of Wales, and Prince George and Princess Charlotte walking togetherImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    The Princess was later joined by the Prince of Wales and their children Princess Charlotte and Prince George

    King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla get out of their carImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla arrive for the concert

    Media caption,

    WATCH: Some onlookers cheer the Royal Family as they arrive at Westminster Abbey

  7. Harry on being depicted as a dog on a lead held by Meghanpublished at 17:26 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Helen Bushby
    Entertainment reporter

    Harry and MeghanImage source, AFP

    We hear and see in episode five about the impact of a cartoon depicting Meghan as a dog owner and Harry as her pet.

    It was prompted by what the press called "Megxit", their decision to "quit the royals", as one headline put it.

    "I've seen little cartoons of me on all fours with her [Meghan] um, holding a dog lead and me wearing the dog collar," Harry says.

    We then see a gaudy-looking cartoon illustrating this.

    Harry goes on: "How predictable that the woman is to be blamed for the decision of a couple.

    "In fact it was my decision. She never asked to leave.

    "I was the one who had to see it for myself.

    "But it’s misogyny at its best."

    Harry has previously called "Megxit" misogynistic as well.

    The Guardian reported last November, external that he said "the term was created by a troll, to describe their decision to quit royal duties, which was then amplified by the press".

    The paper said Harry did not elaborate on this point.

  8. Family photos offer glimpse into Harry and Meghan's new lifepublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Through the series, Harry and Meghan have included new photos and videos of their growing family, offering a more candid - but still carefully curated - look at life outside the Royal Family.

    Here's a selection of images shown for the first time in the docuseries.

    Meghan, Harry and Meghan's mother Doria celebrating Archie's first birthdayImage source, Harry and Meghan/Archewell Productions/Diamond Docs/Story Syndicate/Netflix
    Image caption,

    Meghan, Harry and Meghan's mother Doria celebrated Archie's first birthday after the couple secretly fled to California

    Doria Ragland plays with her grandson ArchieImage source, Harry and Meghan/Archewell Productions/Diamond Docs/Story Syndicate/Netflix
    Image caption,

    Doria Ragland, Archie's grandmother, pushes him in a toy car at the home of Tyler Perry, where the couple were staying

    Harry and Meghan bathing ArchieImage source, Harry and Meghan/Archewell Productions/Diamond Docs/Story Syndicate/Netflix
    Image caption,

    Harry and Meghan, described as "hands-on parents", are seen bathing Archie

    LilibetImage source, Harry and Meghan/Archewell Productions/Diamond Docs/Story Syndicate/Netflix
    Image caption,

    Lilibet is photographed napping in her personalised "petite Lili" sleepsuit

  9. Sussexes call on famous US friends for docuseriespublished at 17:03 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Meghan and Harry meet Beyonce and Jay-Z at an eventImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    The series captures the moment Meghan reads out a supportive text from Beyonce

    Meghan and Harry are some of the most famous people in the world - but that doesn't stop the couple from getting excited over a text from Beyonce, we learned today.

    A number of A-list celebrities appear - or are referenced - in the couple's Netflix series, which gives the Sussexes' perspective on life in the royal family and forging a new path in the US.

    • Tyler Perry - The filmmaker opens the sixth episode reflecting on how he ended up lending Meghan and Harry his house in LA in early 2020 after a desperate call from Vancouver Island
    • Oprah Winfrey - References are made to the world-famous talk-show host, who attended the couples' wedding and also spoke to them in the 2021 tell-all interview
    • Beyonce - In episode six, Meghan is filmed saying she has received a text from the singer the Oprah interview, saying she "admires and respects [her] bravery and thinks [Meghan] was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed"
    • Serena Williams - The tennis star reminisced about Archie's baby shower
  10. Harry: Internal document on South Africa move leakedpublished at 16:44 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Helen Bushby
    Entertainment reporter

    Let's revisit episode five now and Harry is talking about him and Meghan trying to find a way out of living in London.

    But he suggests that a private document was leaked, and talks about which other members of the Royal Family had access to it, as far as he was aware.

    "The Palace signed off on us moving to South Africa," he says.

    "So my father’s office knew about it, my brother’s office knew about it, and my grandmother’s office knew about it.

    "It was very much an internal document and it was leaked to The Times newspaper then that whole plan was then scrapped."

    The headline in The Times on 20 October 2019, external states: "Harry and Meghan ‘need a break’ - and would love to move to Africa."

    The article goes on: "The royal and his wife find public life almost unbearable and yearn to set up home somewhere like Cape Town.

    "Harry and Meghan have made no secret of their struggles to cope with the pressures of life in the spotlight."

    Earlier that year, the couple had carried out a 10-day tour in southern Africa, including a visit to Cape Town, with four-month-old son Archie.

  11. Smiles and laughs from the King on a royal visitpublished at 16:26 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    The KingImage source, PA

    The King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, appeared in good spirits as they visited a community kitchen in London.

    They met people behind the project and also shook hands with schoolchildren and volunteers.

    Their visit comes just hours after Harry and Meghan made a series of revelations about the Royal Family and how it operates.

    Buckingham Palace will not be commenting on the documentary.

    Later the King and Queen Consort will join the Prince and Princess of Wales for a carol service at Westminster Abbey.

    Queen Consort
  12. Analysis

    Stones thrown at Buckingham Palace windows - but no brickspublished at 16:10 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Sean Coughlan
    BBC News, royal correspondent

    The Prince and Princess of Wales walk with the Duke and Duchess of SussexImage source, Reuters

    These episodes won't seriously damage the Royal Family in a way it might have feared from such a close-up, first-hand account.

    There was no real inside gossip, nobody was named as a racist, the accusations were not catastrophic. There were stones thrown at the Palace windows - not a brick put through them.

    And neither Buckingham Palace, nor Kensington Palace, are responding to the series, which is a gauge of a feeling that it contained nothing so awful that they need to challenge it.

    So what will the public make of it all?

    Harry and Meghan are a couple that divide opinion and this is likely to be received along similar lines.

    For their fans, it was a story about their victimhood - a couple struggling to be themselves against unsympathetic and outdated institutions, facing attacks that were laced with racism. This was their chance to put the record straight.

    For those who are less supportive, they might look out on food bank Britain and wonder why so much attention is being paid to the woes of the mega-rich, who have the luxury of so many choices.

    While many have been worrying about switching on the heating, this couple's big angst was switching from a palace to a Californian mansion. From that perspective, it might look like a celebrity couple having a meltdown in first class.

    But there might also be a sense of sadness at what might have been. What began with a fairytale wedding, ended in tears. And as Prince Harry said, Meghan could have been a huge asset for an institution wanting to widen its appeal.

  13. Docuseries does not mark the end of royal dramapublished at 15:56 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Steven McIntosh
    Entertainment Reporter

    Harry and MeghanImage source, Getty Images

    Thank you for joining me as I've live blogged all six episodes of Netflix's Harry & Meghan. Thanks in particular to the café opposite the BBC, which must have noticed quite a boost in sales.

    After the first half of the series was released last week, many felt the programme was a bit of a damp squib. There had been no major revelations, and little entertainment value.

    Having watched the second half, there's no doubt the stronger and more interesting lines were to be found in episodes four through six.

    But what have we learned, really? Not a huge amount. Although the series certainly wouldn't make comfortable viewing for many members of the royal family, there haven't been the kind of bombshells that some had feared.

    Harry and Meghan remain a polarising couple, and your opinion of their Netflix series will likely depend on your existing opinion of them going in. Viewers who already love or loathe them are unlikely to have their opinion changed one way or the other.

    The question is, now that they've aired their grievances in the Oprah interview, their podcast, and now this docuseries, how much more can there possibly be to say?

    Those who thought the Netflix show may finally draw a line under things may be disappointed, because Harry's memoir Spare is released on 10 January.

    This circus shows no signs of leaving town.

  14. Meghan delivers wedding speech as series endspublished at 15:22 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Steven McIntosh
    Entertainment Reporter

    Harry and MeghanImage source, Getty Images

    We're on the home straight, hurtling towards the end of the final episode on our live page watch-along.

    There is more home footage of Harry and Meghan, as the wistful Follow The Sun by Xavier Rudd plays in the background.

    Harry is asked if he misses anything about his previous life, before he stepped down from royal duties.

    "I miss the family gatherings," he says. "Being part of the institution meant I was in the UK, so I miss the UK, I miss my friends, and I've lost a few friends in this process as well.

    "There are times when I've been angry, but I can't be that angry, because I genuinely feel that I, we, are exactly where we're supposed to be. We've made it to the other side."

    Meghan wraps the series up by delivering a speech she gave on the night of their wedding, which she notes is "atypical for a bride in the UK".

    "Let's call this a modern fairytale," Meghan reads from her original speech. "This is the love story of a boy and a girl who are meant to be together."

    We won't reproduce the speech in its entirety here. But it ends with the words: "Above all, love wins."

    The final credits roll, to the soundtrack of Nancy Wilson's (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am.

  15. Meghan: I couldn't text my friends a photopublished at 15:15 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Helen Bushby
    Entertainment reporter

    In episode four, we hear Meghan talking about the constraints she felt she was placed under, by the systems underpinning the Royal Family.

    She talks about not being allowed to share pictures with her friends, something the majority of people would take for granted.

    We do not hear why this is, or if Meghan was told the reasoning behind it.

    The scene is set with footage of Harry turning on their Christmas tree lights in 2018, in Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

    Meghan says: "We were in this bubble where everything is controlled by them.

    "I couldn’t even text my friends a photo," she adds, sounding somewhat incredulous.

    "Okay. And you do as you’re told. But your world just becomes more and more like this [she makes a shrinking motion with her hands]."

    Harry is then seen looking downcast.

  16. America wakes up to final three episodespublished at 15:10 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Marianna Brady
    Reporting from Washington DC

    The US is waking up to the three final episodes on Netflix this morning and the morning shows are relying on British correspondents - who are five hours ahead - to summarise what they've seen.

    "It really lays out this royal rift between William and Harry," says NBC correspondent Keir Simmons from outside Buckingham Palace.

    He says the idea that the rift between the Palace and Harry began when Meghan came into the picture is "a little sexist".

    "There's been a deep unhappiness with Harry and what he sees as his position in the family" for a long time, Simmons says.

    James Longman told the Good Morning America audience that he found the final three episodes "shocking in parts, very moving in others".

    "Seeing Meghan get emotional... I think that is landing with people", he said.

    NBC anchor Craig Melvin said the series taught him "what the word row means".

    If Americans take nothing else from the series, at least they will come away with a useful word from British English vocabulary.

  17. Harry and Meghan recall Lilibet's birthpublished at 15:04 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Steven McIntosh
    Entertainment Reporter

    Archie bakingImage source, Harry and Meghan/Archewell Productions/Diamond Docs/Story Syndicate/Netflix

    There is much discussion of Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet and the couple's feeling of elation after her birth, as we continue with episode six in our watch-along.

    There is little discussion, however, of the controversy surrounding Harry and Meghan's choice of name, which was intended as a tribute to the Queen.

    "There was something that felt so complete once we had Lilibet," Meghan says.

    "Everyone just really respected that we'd been through so much, and like any parent, that we deserved to just welcome their child into the world peacefully."

    After we've seen some footage of Lilibet in the months following her birth, the series returns to the couple's battle with Associated Newspapers.

    Harry and Meghan are filmed from LA calling their team in the UK to find out the judgement, which goes in their favour - with a High Court judge dismissing the media group's appeal.

    And with that, we're into the last 10 minutes of this episode and the docuseries. The piano music kicks back in as family footage is shown on screen.

    Archie is baking zucchini muffins, which sound pretty tasty to us.

    "I want our kids to be able to travel, to fall in love, I just want them to be happy," Meghan says as we head towards the closing minutes of the series.

  18. Polarised reaction from media to documentarypublished at 14:58 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Andre Rhoden-Paul
    Live Reporter

    So far, reaction from journalists working for other publications and commentators has been polarised.

    Piers Morgan, who is well-known for his criticism of the couple, accused them of "astounding treachery".

    The journalist, who left ITV's Good Morning Britain over the Sussexes Oprah interview, tweeted: "Prince Harry publicly trashing his brother William, branding his father King Charles a liar, and attacking his grandmother the late Queen for doing nothing.

    "This is such a grotesque and sickening betrayal of his family."

    Dan Wootton of GB News, another journalist critical of the couple, tweets: "This Netflix series isn't just a delusional fantasy of victimhood, it's the end of his relationship with his own brother. Princess Diana would be devastated."

    Writer Ash Sarkar observed the documentary had a "total lack of awareness that there's a tension" between wanting a progressive royal family while still "participating in an institution based on bloodline superiority".

    She tweets she can believe the couple suffered racism and misogyny but notes "there isn't a woke version of feudalism".

    Lawyer and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, who regularly appears on TV to defend the Sussexes, says she "unequivocally" believes Harry and Meghan.

    She claims in a tweet: "Racism/sexism/misogyny are deeply entrenched in British Monarchy and intentionally used against Meghan Markle."

    The Royal Family have not commented on the claims made in the documentary.

  19. Harry and Meghan recall death of the Duke of Edinburghpublished at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Steven McIntosh
    Entertainment Reporter

    A photograph of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is positioned among floral tributes outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, on April 10, 2021, the day after the duke's death at the age of 99Image source, Getty Images

    The narrative has moved on in the sixth episode of our live watch-along to the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April 2021.

    Harry is grateful and touched by the tributes that are being paid to his grandfather, which include cab drivers lining up Pall Mall outside Buckingham Palace.

    "He went quietly, he went peacefully, he went happily," Harry reflects.

    As the morning wears on, Harry asks, "how is it ten to twelve?", putting his head in his hands.

    We recognise this footage from the trailer. This exact clip was used, external to suggest Harry was putting his head in his hands in exasperation with the media.

    Now the documentary is released, we know he's actually expressing surprise at how late in the day it is.

    Harry flies to London for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral.

  20. Meghan: My entire centre was rocked to its corepublished at 14:50 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December 2022

    Meghan on royal walkabout in 2019 in MerseysideImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Meghan was often handed flowers by children on royal walkabouts

    About half-way through episode four, Meghan talks about the moment she was confronted by members of the public about her strained relationship with her father.

    It had a huge impact on her.

    She says: “We had a walkabout in Liverpool and there was a group of women and one of them said to me, 'What you’re doing to your father, it’s not right.'

    "It was the first time that I went, 'Oh my god. People actually believe this stuff.'

    "And then my entire centre was rocked to its core.”